Seeds for 05/04/2023 - Matthew 4:8-10
Scripture: 8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
Observation: Having struck out twice, the devil switches gears slightly. He has tried demanding proof of Jesus’ status as Son of God via personal miracles or by manipulatively provoking divine intervention. Now he turns to making desperate promises and appealing to personal ego and self-aggrandizement, showing Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor” and promising he can give them to Jesus in exchange for His worship.
We may have noticed that the temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness connect with us too. We want to be our own provider rather than trusting God to “give us this day our daily bread” and feeding upon His Word. We are sometimes so desperate to feel loved that we do things to manipulate others’ attention, affection, and actions toward us. Here again, we find a temptation that is uncomfortably close to home: the allure of power and control.
It is a fact that the kingdoms of this world will become “the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah” and that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” Yet Jesus is in no hurry. That isn’t a priority for Him at all.
We are tempted to get the payoff now, not later. We’re all younger brothers, wanting our inheritance early so we can get on with taking hold of life as we want to enjoy it right now.
But for Jesus, the central priority is worshiping and serving the Father. No kingdom the devil may promise can surpass this.
Application:
Where are you tempted to elevate personal advancement over serving the Lord as first priority?
How do our choices demonstrate who or what we worship?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, center my life on you. Help me put my whole trust in your grace, that I may worship and serve you alone. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
If you liked this post from Seeds of Faith, why not share it and/or subscribe?
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Excellent commentary on these verses, Guy! Much food for thought! Blessings!